The band claims to be from the village of Noid, England, near Bath. However, no such town exists in England. "Noid" has been suspected of being a pun on the "No ID, No Sale" campaign in pubs in the UK.
Forming in the fertile swamps of England’s West Country in the mid-naughties, around the axis of Dan Taylor (guitarist and songwriter) and Kelvin Swaby (vocalist and songwriter,) the Heavy immediately astounded. Jaw dropping, freshly minted riffs, swinging hip-hop drums, funk-ridden bass and Swaby’s startling, Mayfield-esque vocals meant early singles ‘That Kind of Man’ and ‘Colleen’ blew minds and won hearts. The debut album they were taken from – ‘Great Vengeance and Furious Fire’ – became an instant connoisseurs’ classic.
It was their sophomore album, though, that saw them blasting into homes across the globe. ‘The House that Dirt Built’. It also yielded the mighty ‘How You Like Me Now?’ The single was licensed for a major commercial in the 3rd Quarter of the Superbowl (the biggest ad slot in the world) and quite simply went stratospheric.
“It became such a big tune, that people asked, ‘How are you going to top that?’.” Swaby says.
The answer was 2012’s ‘The Glorious Dead,’ the band’s third album. Even deeper, a touch darker, and with shades of Southern Gothic infesting the swampy rock n’ soul of previous records, the album was another giant step forward, Frankensteining swampy voodoo and b-movie zombies with garage rock and Gospel-soaked soul.
Lead single ‘What Makes a Good Man?’ showed that The Heavy were able to write brilliant singles time after time, with synchs snowing in once again, and American radio coming on board. The band toured the world exhaustively, wowing audiences with their transcendental live performances.
“It was over the top, in a good way,” adds Heavy frontman Kelvin Swaby. “We went pretty cinematic, setting out to score a film that hasn’t been written.”
“It’s good to have a bit of light and shade,” Taylor adds.
Since then, The Heavy has gone on to achieve storming success in Japan, playing Fuji Rock, chalking up a #1 alternative album on iTunes Japan, scoring a major Pepsi synch and playing Japan’s biggest breakfast TV show, ‘Sukkiri.’
Their music was used in the stunning Guiness Sapeurs ad, they played Glastonbury, sold out Shepherd’s Bush Empire and re-recorded How You Like Me Now? with none other than 50 Cent, to launch ESPN’s coverage of the NFL Draft Week.
To top it all, How You Like Me Now? reached Gold status in the United States – a stunning achievement for an English, independent artist. How to top all that, you might ask? Well, there’s a new album on the way, and The Heavy just happen to have a habit of exceeding themselves…
Turn Up
The Heavy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And make it something to believe in
You know you got to
Turn (up)
And make the heart go
(Woah, woah, woah)
I said you go to
Turn (up)
You know you go to
Turn (up)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
I set my soul on fire
All for you, my love
And I build a house of dirt and bones
From the ground
You talk it like you needed it all
All your life
If you want it, baby, you can have it all
O, but then you better
Turn (up)
And make it something to believe in
You know you got to
Turn (up)
And make the heart go
(Woah, woah, woah)
I said you go to
Turn (up)
And put your hands where I can see them
You know you go to
Turn (up)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
(Baby, baby)
You'll lose your way
(Baby, baby)
You'll make mistakes
(Baby, baby)
You're gonna learn to fight many days
In so many ways
(Baby, baby)
Ain't no one gonna shake me
(Baby, baby)
'Cause you'll always be my baby
(Baby, baby)
There ain't nothing more I want
For you, my love
If that's what you really want
Must be what you really want
If that's what you really want
My love
I said you better
Turn (up)
And make it something to believe in
You know you got to
Turn (up)
And make the heart go
(Woah, woah, woah)
I said you go to
Turn (up)
And put your hands where I can see them
You know you go to
Turn (up)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
To keep 'em begging for (more)
The Heavy's song "Turn Up" has lyrics that highly suggest taking action and being confident in oneself. The song itself is quite lively and upbeat, which is fitting for its main subject matter. The first part of the lyrics encourages the listener to turn up and make something that others can truly believe in. This energy and authenticity will be beneficial in attracting others, and ultimately keeping them wanting more of what the performer has to offer. The repetition of the phrase "keep 'em begging for more" shows how important it is to have fans and admirers interested in following your work. This is likely why the song has a lot of repetition in general - it's trying to hammer home the idea that confidence, action, and a great performance are all key factors in success.
The second verse discusses the idea of setting one's soul on fire. This line seems to indicate that the performer is highly passionate about their work and eager to do whatever it takes to succeed. They build something from the ground up, which shows determination and a willingness to put in the hard work that is necessary for success. The lines about "baby" losing their way and making mistakes, as well as having to fight through many days, reveal that success isn't always easy. However, the overall message of the song is that the performer is truly committed to their craft, and this dedication will ultimately lead to great success.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn (up)
Increase your effort or intensity
And make it something to believe in
Make it worthy for people to believe or invest in
You know you got to
It is necessary to do it
And make the heart go
(Woah, woah, woah)
I said you go to
Achieve something impressive or amazing
And put your hands where I can see them
Be transparent about your actions or intentions
To keep 'em begging for (more)
To keep the demand high and the excitement going
I set my soul on fire
I am giving my all and passion to this
All for you, my love
I am doing this for the person I love
And I build a house of dirt and bones
From the ground
I am creating something meaningful and valuable from scratch
You talk it like you needed it all
All your life
You express your desire for it intensely and always have
If you want it, baby, you can have it all
O, but then you better
If you truly want this, it's yours, but be willing to work for it
(Baby, baby)
You'll lose your way
(Baby, baby)
You'll make mistakes
(Baby, baby)
You're gonna learn to fight many days
In so many ways
(Baby, baby)
Ain't no one gonna shake me
(Baby, baby)
'Cause you'll always be my baby
(Baby, baby)
There ain't nothing more I want
For you, my love
You will face challenges and setbacks, but you will grow and learn from it. Despite that, I will always stand by your side and support you because you are my love.
If that's what you really want
Must be what you really want
If that's what you really want
My love
If this is your true desire, I believe it because I trust and understand you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHRIS ELLUL, TOBY MCLAREN, KELVIN SWABY, DAN TAYLOR, SPENCER PAGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
thedjdissident
Excellent track from The Heavy ! A truly mesmeric blend of their trademark rock’n’roll classicism and funk and soul groove.
JM
I'm starting to get the feeling that this album is going to awesome...
Anthony Jimenez
I loved the "The House That Dirt Built" album reference... actually I love everything THE HEAVY does!!!
Stoner Craig
Such legends it so cool to see them have grown over the years :)
Jordan Appel
Awesome and upbeat track from a great band!
Darth Cahdek
Hyped for this new album!!
LET'S TURN IT UP!!
conclude here
oh yesss this album is going to be amazing i can feel it!!
Rodrigo Ortega Polo
This is a masterpiece
L1KECLOCKWORK
This is really well done for a lyric video with all the animated backgrounds etc.
8mile Wood
this is that power song you play on the way to work Rise & Grind 💪